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Not many MLAs will attend Haveri meet: Eshwarappa

Bangalore, Nov 21, 2012, DHNS:

BSY may quit his assembly membership on November 30

BJP State president K S Eshwarappa on Wednesday said that an internal assessment made by the party had revealed that only three to four MLAs were likely to attend the formal launch of Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) at Haveri on December 9.

Eshwarappa told reporters here that an internal meeting of the party held last week had taken stock of the political situation in the BJP.

Even these handful of legislators may back out at the last minute, he said and reiterated that strict action would be initiated against any BJP member who attends the former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa’s Haveri rally.

The party had suffered “sufficient humiliation” as it had not focussed on discipline during the last four-and-a-half years. “This time we will not keep quiet. To ensure discipline, the party is ready for any sacrifice and will not mind even losing the Government,” he observed.

Eshwarappa said he has taken note of the anti-party statements made by legislators Hartal Halappa, D S Suresh, B P Harish and Nehru Olekar.

On Cooperation Minister B J Puttaswamy’s statement that he would attend the Haveri rally, Eshwarappa said, “Let him attend. Nobody will be spared of action.”

‘BJP, mother to BSY’

The BJP chief said he still had hopes that Yeddyurappa will continue in the BJP. “Yeddyurappa had once equated the BJP to his mother. I am sure he (Yeddyurappa) will not betray his mother,” he remarked.

Noting that no regional party had succeeded in the State, Eshwarappa said the BJP did not want Yeddyurappa to be in a “sorry state of affairs” after he quits the BJP, which had groomed him for the last three decades.

On why the party had not initiated any action against legislators and MPs who had identified themselves with former minister B Sriramulu’s BSR Congress, Eshwarappa said the issue in that case was different. He said show cause notices had been served on Lok Sabha members J Shanta and Sanna Fakirappa and legislators T H Suresh Babu and B Nagendra and, they had replied.

“After that they have not identified with Sriramulu and also not issued anti-party statements,” he claimed.

The core-committee meeting of the district units of Bagalkot, Bijapur, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Bangalore Rural was held on Wednesday. Discussions were held on the party’s prospects in the ensuing Assembly elections in these districts, BJP sources said.According to the sources, Yeddyurappa is reportedly planning to meet the Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah on November 30 to submit his resignation.

Members of Yeddyurappa camp, however, claimed that at least 50 MLAs would attend the convention, only as spectators and not share the dais with the KJP office-bearers.

However, MLCs may stay away. The BJP may not take any action against the MLAs because it would have a bearing on its strength in the Assembly. However, the party would not mind losing MLCs as it would in no way affect the survival of the government. Therefore, Yeddyurappa wants MLCs from his camp to retain their membership, while MLAs, in any case, will have to face the elections in 2013 and so can attend.